NJ Transit's rail fleet hit hard by storm

A third of NJ Transit’s locomotives and nearly a quarter of the agency’s railcars — some of which were left to sit in a low-lying Hoboken rail yard — have sustained damage from the heavy winds and floodwaters wrought by superstorm Sandy.

The damage is so widespread that the agency is asking neighboring rail operators to help with repairs and has called on vendors and even Amtrak to provide spare parts, including wheel sets, gear boxes and heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment.

In all, 261 of NJ Transit’s passenger railcars and 63 of its locomotives sustained damage and are in line for repairs, said spokesman John Durso Jr. An estimate of the cost to repair the damage is not yet available, Durso said. The agency has 203 locomotives and 1,162 cars.

Still, he insisted there will be no impact on rail service in the short term. Late Friday, the agency announced all but one of its rail lines will be up and running on Monday. However, much of the system will still run a modified schedule, including the Bergen, Main and Pascack Valley lines. The Northeast Corridor, the line with the most traffic, is expected to run a regular schedule. Full information can be found at njtransit.com.

Durso declined to explain the long-term impact that fewer rail¬cars and fewer engines will have on NJ Transit customers who have been left to navigate a constantly changing, patchwork system that includes emergency buses and ferries while the agency tries to address systemwide damage resulting from Sandy.

The agency did not anticipate the severity of the flooding that enveloped its Hoboken yard, Durso said. There were 37 railcars and 12 engines left in Hoboken.

“The extent of flooding in Hoboken exceeded any prior experience,” Durso said. “The engines and railcars there were located in the highest point in the yard — in a location that had never sustained flooding previously, including in storms such as Irene or Floyd.”

The 49 pieces of now-damaged equipment were left in Hoboken even as NJ Transit, in a press release issued the Sunday before Sandy struck New Jersey, announced it was shutting down its bus, rail and light rail systems and moving equipment out of low-lying areas.

“The suspension of NJ Transit service will require a minimum of 12 hours to complete,” the release said. “The process requires the relocation and securing of buses, rail equipment and other NJ Transit assets away from flood-prone areas.”

The release also pointed out that during Hurricane Irene, NJ Transit saved billions in assets by securing its system.

Durso said cost estimates for the damage are still being gathered and that all of the damaged equipment will be repaired. “None will be lost,” he said. He gave no answer when asked how long it will take to finish repairs.

The other coaches and locomotives in the fleet that were damaged were at NJ Transit’s Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny, which was fully surrounded by floodwaters during the height of the storm.

Durso said the full extent of the damage is still not known, but so far includes:

Water damage to vehicle interiors, such as soaked insulation panels and seat cushions.

Saltwater intrusion into onboard electrical systems.

Damage to undercarriage equipment, such as heating and air conditioning units and batteries.

He said some vehicle repairs may require the removal of seats, wall panels and floors to get to the damaged components.

In preparation for Sandy, Durso said the equipment in vulnerable areas was housed or transferred to areas around the state, including the Waldwick Yard, Raritan Yard and locations in Woodbridge, Jersey City, New Bruns¬wick, Hammonton and Hoboken, as well as other locations in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

The agency is now scrambling to repair the equipment by reaching out to sister agencies like Amtrak and repair shops.

Durso said the Morristown & Erie Railway in Morristown is assisting with repairs to NJ Transit’s diesel locomotive fleet. At least 10 diesel locomotives have been sent to their maintenance shops for repair, he said.

The agency has also called upon vendors and business partners. “Amtrak is providing components and spare parts for several diesel locomotives and Foley Caterpillar of Piscataway is providing backup generators for the Rail Operations Center and [Meadows Maintenance Complex] in Kearny.”

Other vendors are replenishing supplies and spare parts, including wheel sets, gear boxes, electrical and heating, and ventilation and air conditioning equipment. They are also restoring shop equipment and providing engineering services, Durso said.

He said Bombardier, the Canada-based manufacturer of planes and trains, is providing assistance.